


The Great, Amazing, Sensational Team of Misfits

by officaldaelight



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 7th human is ambiguous, Angst, Angty angsty angst, Chara is a female, Eventual mention of physical and emotional abuse, Eventual violence, FEEEELLSS, Happy Beginnings, LinkingTale, besties, friendship fluff, genocide ending, sad endings, skelebros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-07-10 13:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6987529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/officaldaelight/pseuds/officaldaelight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans, Papyrus, Asriel and Chara. A band of happy-go-lucky best friends 'til the end with an oath to never hurt each other. With such a close bond and strong friendship, what could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Howdy, Howdy, Howdoyado?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Flowey Is Not a Good Life Coach](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5056333) by [unrestedjade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unrestedjade/pseuds/unrestedjade). 



> NOTICE:
> 
> This story is heavily based on Undertale but does not follow certain canon features such as some characters' genders, personalities, etc. since this story takes place in an alternate universe.
> 
> Not gonna advise this to readers below 13. No foul language but abuse might make an appearance further in the story. But other than that, the beginning is blissful :)
> 
> Read at your own frisk.
> 
> (This chapter is still uncertain. It may be a draft, it might not be. The content you are about to read is a preview.)

 "And this is Snowdin! Personally, my second favorite spot in the Underground," Asriel beamed.

 "What's the first?" Chara asked, curious.

 "Duh! Waterfall!! You get an awesome view of the crystals in the ceiling! It looks amazing!" He came to a pause as he looked at his new adoptive sibling. He'd been babbling too long. It's time to let her talk. "What's your favorite?"

 "I'll have to be honest with you, I'm loving Snowdin the best. It's lovely," The human girl perked.

Asriel shrugged. "Oh, well. That's your opinion. Hey! Do you want to buy some Cinna Bunnies?! Snowdin's got THE BEST food around! Well... y'know... Besides Mom,"

 "Heehee! Sure, Asriel,"

The duo came upon the Snowdin shop to purchase a couple Cinna Bunnies Asriel told her about. It had been a long tour and they could use something to eat at the moment. One bite and she felt her soul seemingly melting at it's warmth. But what warmed Chara's heart mostly was her brother's enthusiasm. This was why she loved monsters above humans. So kind, so loving, so passionate. Yet, so naive. They didn't deserve this fate, trapped Underground with no escape. And what's bothering her most was that they won't do anything about it. She was determined to get them out of here.

Chara's thoughts were disturbed by Asriel shaking her shoulder wildly.

 "Chara! Chara, look!!" he exclaimed.

 "Whoa! Easy with the shaking, Rei!" Chara warned, getting dizzy.

 "Rei?" Asriel tilted his head.

 "Figured you needed a nickname. You know, between you and me. Not that Asriel is a nice name enough. Just needed something shorter," she shrugged.

Her brother rubbed his chin with his finger, deep in thought about the new name he acquired. She can hear him mumbling it over and over in trying to decide to keep it or not.

 "Rei... I like it! Just... between you an me, okay?"

 "No problem, Rei," she winked. "Anyways, what were you pointing at?"

 "Oh! Right! Doy!" Asriel hit his head with his paw like the clumsy child he was.

For once, Asriel's voice softened. They'd only known each other for days yet Chara knew Asriel would never tone his voice down unless he was concerned. His arm stretched out to the open and focused on a figure not far from them. "Look..."

Chara squinted her eyes to get a better view of what he was pointing. It was a skeleton. A monster skeleton. He didn't look like the skeletons she saw on the Surface. In fact, the tall goof looked friendly. But, for some reason, he looked sad, sitting alone at the threshold of an old, abandoned summer home in the middle of the snow. She took pity on him. No monster should be gloomy like this.

 "He looks lonely... Wanna help him?" Asriel offered.

 "You do this often, don't you? Helping people?" Chara smirked.

His voice then returned to its former glory as he dramatically laid a paw on his chest. "I am a prince, a future king! I have to be concerned with the comfort of my people! Dad said there's no better time to start than now,"

 "Well, he's right. Besides, the poor guy looks like he needs company. Alright. Let's talk to him,"

 "YEY!!" he clapped.

Before she could do anything else, Asriel already zoomed towards the lonely skeleton, eager to make him smile. She chuckled. She loved him for that.

 "Hellooo?! Mister?" Asriel stooped sideways, his hands clamped behind him and his ears drooping in obedience to gravity.

The skeleton looked up in surprise.

 "O-oh! HELLO, LITTLE... ASRIEL?"

 "Uh... Do I know you?"

 "DON'T YOU RECOGNIZE ME?! IT'S ME!! YOUR BEST FRIEND, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!!"

Asriel's eyes shone with awe. It took him moments to process this, his little head too cramped up with too many thoughts. "Papyrus... Papyrus?!" His gaze darted to the skeleton as realization dawned into him, letting out a tiny gasp. "PAPYRUS!!!"

Suddenly, he flung into the tall skeleton's arms, sinking his face on his big, red scarf. The skeleton excitedly returned his embrace, ecstatic to see his old friend again. Their hug was long, a little bit too tight, a little bit exaggerated. But it meant everything. Chara couldn't help but breathe out a small "aw" at the touching sight.

 "YOU GREW!! I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN AGES!!" Papyrus smiled.

 "You did, too, friend! Golly! I didn't expect you to get this tall!" His gaze lowered to read his shirt. "And cooler, too!"

 "WHY, THANK YOU, YOUNG PRINCE! OH, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN! I'M SURE GLAD I DON'T HAVE TO WAIT 'TIL THE NEXT KINGDOM-WIDE EVENT TO SEE YOU!!"

 "You, too, bud! So... What're you doing here all alone? You usually seem to be the outgoing type. Where's the gang?"

 "OH... SANS RECENTLY GOT BUSY WITH A LITTLE PROJECT. GRILLBY'S PREPARING TO OPEN HIS NEW RESTAURANT. WHICH LEAVES ME TO... NOTHING,"

 "Slacking off, are we?" Asriel winked.

 "NO!! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL NOT SUCCUMB TO MY FAMILY'S WEAKNESSES!! I AM A HARDWORKING, ENERGETIC CHAP UNLIKE MY BROTHER BEFORE ME!!"

 "Hey, Sans is a pretty hardworking fellow if the situation requires him to be,"

 "THAT, I CAN AGREE TO,"

 "Still pretty bothering seeing you so... **bone-ly** ," Asriel snorted.

Ah. A pun war. One that waged on for eternity.

 "WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE I HAVE... **NO BODY** TO BE WITH!"

 "Say, wouldn't it be **COOL** if you hung out with us?"

 "YOU HAVE... **GOAT** TO BE KIDDING ME!! OF COURSE IT WOULD BE COOL!!"

She cleared her throat, successfully grabbing his attention. Asriel whipped his head around and remembered.

 "Oh! This is my new sister: Chara!" he introduced.

 "Greetings!" Chara smiled.

 "A HUMAN!!" PAPYRUS GASPED. "WOWIE!! I'VE NEVER HAD A HUMAN FRIEND BEFORE!!"

 "First time for everything," she giggled. Papyrus reminded her of Asriel in a way. It was so endearing to her, how they get along easily. She could see why. It hadn't been three minutes and he already considered her his friend. She immediately took liking of Papyrus for that.

 "GOSH, ASRIEL! YOU'RE LUCKY!! I WISH I HAD A HUMAN SISTER!!"

 "Me? Lucky?! Pssh!! Come, now, Papyrus! Chara's pretty amazing but YOU'RE the lucky one. What I wouldn't give to have a brother like Sans!" He recalled his new sibling beside him and leaned to her ear to whisper something. "No offense, Chara,"

She smiled, closing her eyes and raising her hand, lightly shaking her head in reassurance. "None taken." She meant it.

Papyrus' smile seemingly dropped, the life of his voice fading away to gloom. "YEAH, WELL... HE'S REALLY BECOMING MORE OF A TAG-ALONG THAN A BROTHER.."

 "Golly! Why?" Asriel covered his mouth. He looks like a toddler listening to a scary story, Chara thought in amusement.

 "Well..." Papyrus' quiet tone really started to concern the young royal. He stepped closer to him, resting his paw on his patella as a sign that he cares. Not that Papyrus didn't already know that.

 "He's been... off. Lately. He acts like nothing changed but I know better. A lot has changed. He's been pushing himself to work harder more than he used to. He stays up late and wakes up early. All he could think about is the machine. He isn't even thinking about his health! He doesn't really joke anymore. I rarely see him... really, REALLY smile... And, worst of all, I... I think I know why..."

 "And why is that, Papyrus?"

The skeleton's expression became hard to read. It was like confusion clashed with dread. No one, not even Papyrus, understood his emotion. "I... I don't know. I mean... I feel like I should know, but I don't. I don't know... it just feels like... someone's missing..."

His thought wandered off beyond the topic just as his gaze turned blank. He wasn't even looking at anything specific. Asriel and Chara allowed him to open his mind to give them better understanding to the conundrum.

 "I-I feel it... In the little things... Like how the couch feels like it has more room than it used to. Or how Sans and I got to have a massive collection of books when we never bought them or found them on the dump... Or how more silent our house got... like it was missing someone's laughter... It's-It's unsettling. Like I forgot someone that was there... Someone I used to know..."

Chara observed as Asriel's smile turned upside down. He was obviously trying to find words to comfort his dear friend. But his pondering gave fruit to nothing. "I wish I know how that feels. I could help you better if I did," was all that came out.

The young prince lied. Of course he knew how it felt. He felt it himself... But... He wasn't really affected by it. In fact, the very thought scared him. Sent chills to his spine. He'd rather leave it at that than investigate further. Whatever was gone, it unsettled him very deeply.

 "H-Hey!" The human girl suddenly said. "Why don't we go check out your brother? From what I've gathered, you two really need some company. Asriel and I can help you out,"

Papyrus' face suddenly lit up, a spark of hope fueling his soul. "REALLY?"

 "Y-Yeah! We're your friends, Papyrus! We're here to help you out no matter what!" Asriel forced a smile.

Chara never thought she could feel like dying but, at the same time, happy in one single hug. But as Papyrus wrapped his boney arms around her and her brother as fast as lightning, she believed she needed to help this poor soul out because his hug said it all. He needed them. He really does.

 "THANK YOU!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME!" the skeleton embraced them tighter.

Struggling to breathe, the young prince chuckled. "We're happy to help out, friend! Uh... Paps... Hrk! I think I need to breathe even just for one sec!"

 "OOPS!! SORRY!!"

With that, Papyrus gently placed the children down on the snow and let them go. He simply can't contain how happy he is to have people help him and, most especially, his brother.

 "It's okay, Papyrus," Asriel giggled, still trying to catch his breath.

 "Now," Chara reached her tiny hand out and held the skeleton's big, gloved one. "You better keep that smile on. Your brother would be happy to see it,"

Papyrus giggled. He knew she was right. His smile somehow brought color to his brother's life. And he didn't know why. He guessed it was just a big brother thing.

 "Lead the way, chief," Asriel stretched his arm, gesturing they'd move forward. "Just tell us the place and we'll follow,"

 "WELL..." a twinge of uncertainty cracking Papyrus' voice as they began walking. "WHERE WE LIVE? IT'S KIND OF A SECRET... PROMISE YOU WOULDN'T TELL?"

 "We promise, Papyrus,"

One.

 "GOOD!! THEN, LET'S HEAD ON!!"

The skeleton's steps were rather big, seemingly impossible for a child -or two children, for that matter- to keep up. Papyrus remembered this and instantly slowed down after realizing the siblings are far behind.

 "Where are we going?" The young prince raced towards his friend and held his hand, his sister following close and taking the other.

He breathed in, trying to let the word roll of his mouth easily. He couldn't afford to make a mistake on this one.

 "HOTLAND,"


	2. The Smiley Face and the Trashbag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans meets an old friend. Then, makes a new one. Is it smelling "new-awesome-gang-incoming" in the Underground???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:
> 
> Extremely stupid Sans for trying to hide secrets. Epic fail, breh.
> 
> And, apparently, he has a tongue. (He's a skeletal monster, for Pete's sake. Not a living human skeleton.) Nothing dirty, folks. Just old Sansy being childish.
> 
> Also. Curious Papyrus. Cinnamon roll should come with a warning label that reads "I AM ADORABLE BUT DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME." This bab's gonna get in some deep doo doo further in the story.
> 
> PAP-Y-ROOS CAN TELEPORT. I REPEAT. THE SKELEBAB CAN TELEPORT.
> 
> And you can still breathe, folks. Friendly Chara here.
> 
> (REMINDER THAT THIS IS AN AU, ERGO, A LOT OF THINGS ARE DIFFERENT AND WON'T BE FOLLOWING CANON.)

Failure. Another failure.

Sans hung his head low, his skull causing soft thuds as he tiredly and repeatedly pounded it on the desk. He crumpled up the blueprint that had the failed equation and tossed it aside to join the pile of the other failures. He was growing tired. It had already been seven cups of coffee to keep his energy up. He had to try, he thought to himself. He had to bring him back.

He heard footsteps across the hall. Assuming it was his brother, he got up to action and quickly hid the crumpled papers to the trashbag, sealing it tightly so no one can take a peek. He fixed himself up to look fine and opened a book to make him look like he was at ease, waiting for a tall skeleton to come in.

 "BROTHER?" he peeked from the door.

 "Heya, Pap! How's the restaurant?" Sans winked in attempts to keep the subject off his work.

 "OH, GRILLBY IS **FIRED UP** , AS USUAL,"

He snickered at his little brother's pun. He just had to beat him with those. He can't afford Papyrus besting him at that.

 "ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND BUT I BROUGHT A COUPLE OF FRIENDS HOME!!"

Sans' smile immediately dropped. Oh, how he dreaded this day would come. "Bro, we've talked about not getting people in here..."

 "DON'T WORRY! I TELEPORTED THEM WHEN WE WERE OUTSIDE THE AREA!! THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET HERE,"

 "You sure?"

 "YES! I AM ABSO-POSITIVELY-LUTELY SURE!!"

The older breathed in, preparing for the worst. It wasn't that he didn't trust his brother. He knew Papyrus is a good judge of character. Much better than he was, anyways. He just can't bear people finding out this little secret of theirs. Their... fortress of solitude.

 "Well?"

Two white paws held on the door. A small furry head peeked out and a pair of big, green eyes darted to the smaller skeleton. "Sans?"

 "Wait. Is that-"

 "YES, IT IS, BROTHER!! IT'S ASRIEL!!"

 "Hey, kiddo!" Sans opened his arms wide with a big grin as the young prince merrily ran to his embrace, holding onto him as tight as he can.

 "Look at you! Last time I saw you, you were barely as tall as me!"

Asriel giggled. "I grow up pretty fast. I get that,"

The skeleton chuckled, ruffling Asriel's head fur. He ignored his growling (giggly) protest as he laughed it off. "That, you do! Heard you had a new sister,"

 "Yeah! Come on in, Chara!" Asriel called out.

His sister stepped into the light and shyly walked towards them, giving her new friend a small wave. "Hi..."

Sans' eye sockets grew bigger than usual. Chara was already used to this reaction, being the first human to fall into a land full of monsters.

 "Whoa. They were right. It is a human,"

 "Yeah! I found her when I was exploring the Ruins! Then, I took her home and Mom and Dad decided to adopt her. My healing magic got better since then!" The goat child beamed.

 "Oh, you and that big heart of yours never fail to help people, huh?" Sans nudged him with a smile.

 "Yeah. He's a pretty great brother," Chara smiled. "Heard you were one, too,"

 "INDEED, HUMAN!! SANS IS A MAGNIFICENT BROTHER!!" Papyrus agreed.

Sans chuckled and covered his face. "Aw, shucks, guys. I'm not that great,"

 "Don't say that!! You are!" Asriel protested.

With another chuckle, he replied, "Thanks, kiddo..." As much as he appreciated the compliment, he couldn't help but disagree. He decided to change the subject, hoping to get his mind off of his emotions.

 "So... what are you two doing here? Far away from New Home? Don't tell me you've been sneaking out classes again, Az,"

 "I promise, I'm not! Mom already got so mad last time!"

 "Oh, good,"

 "We're here because... well... Papyrus was worried about you..." Chara said.

Oh, crud.

There was no escaping the subject now.

 "W-worried about me? Paps, I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle," Sans shrugged, coating his anxiety with a smooth facade.

Papyrus crossed his arms and pouted like a child. Yet his words were clearly from the mouth of a concerned adult. "NO, YOU'RE NOT. I DON'T HAVE EYES BUT I'M NOT BLIND, SANS. I CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOUR AIMLESS SHENANIGANS,"

 "Aww, geez. Cut it with the mom routine, will ya?"

 "Papyrus is just trying to help, Sans," Asriel reasoned.

Sans stammered, rubbing the back of his skull with one hand and hiding in his pocket the shaking other. "I-I know... There's really not much to worry about, guys. Besides, I love what I do,"

Chara raised an eyebrow, not convinced. "Coming from Papyrus, it sounded like you resent what you do,"

Their conversation carried on. Papyrus became distracted looking at his brother's workplace. It almost made him believe that he was fine. Maybe he exaggerated. Jumped to conclusions. Maybe Sans was really just trying to work. Come to think of it, Papyrus never even bothered to ask Sans what he was doing. All he knew was that he was working hard.

All his doubts vanished the instant he saw a huge trashbag right beside Sans' desk. He must've tried to cover it with rugs, used clothing and the like. Hidden but not well-hidden.

As he was silently planning something, Papyrus was suddenly brought to present time, drawn to the trio's conversation.

 "Look," Chara sighed. "Why don't you at least keep your head off your work for a while?"

 "Yeah. You've been working around the clock and that's not good. I've seen Dad do it. It was a very bad idea," Asriel agreed.

The short skeleton chuckled. "Yes, Mom and Dad,"

Asriel then stuck his tongue out, putting all the immature emotions he could muster up his face. Sans stuck his tongue out back. Chara scoffed at their childish argument but couldn't help to smile, anyways.

 "We can help you if you really have to work on this. We're not stopping you," the human girl suggested.

Sans was about to argue. But something stopped him. He wanted to decline but it seemed that his entire being was yelling _'Sure! I'd really appreciate help!'_. To be frank, he really, really was starting to wear out. He had been working non-stop for almost two months and, he had to admit, he might be going a little insane. He couldn't blame Papyrus for worrying if he acted this way.

If **he** asked for help, why can't he? He had at least some of followers when he was still around. He obviously wasn't that stupid to think he'd build his creation on his own.

 "I'll..." Sans begun, deep in thought. "I'll think about it,"

_'Sans, you moron! They're kids! How can they help?!'_

 "Neat!" Asriel perked up. "I'm pretty good at assembling stuff if ya need a hand!"

His sister shrugged. "I'm pretty good at solving stuff and math,"

At hearing the word, the young prince inched a few steps away from his sister as if she was made with everything icky in the whole world. "Eww... How can you tolerate that?"

 "It's fun!"

 "Sounds to me it was made by some homicidal murderer to torture helpless kids,"

 "It can be used as an application to real life AND science, Rei!"

Asriel rolled his eyes. "How can a future king use algebra in reigning a kingdom?! 'Oh, noes! I need to solve the tangent to this equation pronto! If I won't, the entire Underground is going to collapse!'"

Chara giggled at how ridiculous her brother looked during the entirety of that statement. Papyrus and Sans stifled their laughter at his sarcasm.

 "Dang, kid. That's a little too much sass for a future king," Sans smiled again.

The goat child proudly huffed and straightened his shirt. "The king ALWAYS has some sass reserved for the poor peasant folk like you,"

Sans melodramatically placed a bony hand to where his SOUL might be and scoffed as if he had a heart attack, smiling with his signature grin as he did so.

 "Why, I didn't expect such a weedy response, Flower Boy,"

 "Ugh... Cut it out with that creepy smiley face of yours! It's starting to give me the heebie-jeebies!!"

This time, Sans laughed for real. "Just a skeleton thing, I guess,"

For a moment, a certain silence hung in the air. It wasn't awkward silence. Nor uncomfortable silence. Maybe it was just there to take this all in. Maybe it was there to let them think through what they've discussed.

 "So...?" Chara asked, returning to the original topic.

 "I told you. I'll think about it. Right now, I guess I do need a breather. Welp... not right now 'right now', but ya get me. It's getting pretty late and I heard the queen can incinerate anyone on the spot if she learns someone took her kids," Sans said.

Asriel raised an eyebrow. "Pun?"

The skeleton shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. C'mon. Let's get you home. Paps will do the honor since he brought you to this mess. You okay there? Paps? Paaaaps? You've been awful quiet for a while. You okay, bro?"

...

...

.......

 "Papyrus!"

 "Oh! YES, BROTHER! I AM PERFECTLY FINE!! I SHALL TAKE THE CHILDREN HOME RIGHT AWAY!!"

 "Looks like Sans isn't the only one who needs a break," Chara smirked, rubbing her chin.

 "I-" Papyrus was about to argue. He then realized it would be pointless if he did. He just kept quiet until someone replied to him.

 "Wow, you guys really need to clear your mind or something!" Asriel commented.

Chara leaned in to Asriel's ear to whisper something. The prince listened intently, carefully digesting every word. There were a few nods and "uh-huh's" from him and, after a while, he grinned in agreement and gave his new sister a high-five.

 "Alright!" he beamed. "We'll go home. Promise to meet us up at Waterfall tomorrow?"

 "Waterfall?" Sans questioned.

 "Just trust us," Chara waved a hand. "Promise? And promise us you won't... I don't know. Stress over stuff. Relax for a while. We just want to help. That means both of you,"

Sans looked at Papyrus. Papyrus looked Sans. Silently agreeing, they sighed in unison and nodded.

 "Alright..."

Two.

The young prince clapped excitedly. "Great! Okay, friend! We're ready to go home!"

Papyrus smiled as he stepped forward, grabbing one of their hands on his own. He looked back at his brother as if making sure he is wholeheartedly agreeing to this. He looked away when he got his response: the same smiley face Asriel found creepy. He had to get him off that metaphorical mask one day.

One day.

And within a second, the three of them disappeared out of Sans' sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not so sure about how this chapter came about. I've run out of ideas and just wrote what came into mind and heart. I'm still a little unsatisfied? But I guess it'll do for now.
> 
> To those who're on my Tumblr, I am feeling better. Just your normal girl having mood swings on that time of the month.
> 
> And yes. Some characters are gonna try to hack into my account to fill up for me. Someone please watch out for Flowey :P
> 
> Please leave comments! They really help!
> 
> Thanks for everyone who gave me feedback for the first chapter! They were really up lifting ^w^
> 
> Love ya, guys!


	3. Light, Lighter, Yet Lighter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is a smartass. Period.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Genius Papyrus makes an appearance. Don't mess with him.
> 
> And he has an eidetic (a.k.a. photographic) memory. It's going to grow as a very important detail with a great impact for the rest of the story.
> 
> Meanwhile, Sans's lack of sleep might made him forgetful. Oops. Total opposite of what your bro's showing, bub.
> 
> I also included my personal headcanon that the skelebros can be childishly competitive.
> 
> Immature adults are served! :DDD

He hated it when sleep eluded him. Usually he'd get to bed 11:30, on the dot, and fall into slumber once his head hits the pillow. It was 12:17. He's still awake. He hates it. He hates it with a burning passion.

Sans guessed it was because of the offer the royal siblings made. What if they're all right? What if he does need help?

No.

He doesn't need help. He can't bare to bring them to his misery. Besides, this was only his mission in the first place: to bring him back. Back from darkness. Back to their memories. Back to their lives. His and his alone.

After a few tosses and turns, his labors to go to sleep failed. Heh. Just like everything he did so far. That's all he ever did. He failed. He's a failure, he thought.

He sat up and decided to drink milk or something. Anything that could help him sleep would do him good. He needed exactly seven hours of sleep or he'd collapse. He doesn't want what happened before to happen again. He can't afford that. He can't afford wasting time and getting off work.

Since the brothers slept on a bunk bed, he had to be careful not to wake Papyrus up. And, from what he learned from past experiences, Papyrus could shake off sleep easily. He made his way down to the ground, cautious not to make a single noise. He didn't wake up... yet. Or at least that's what he thought as he saw a figure of his brother all covered in a blanket.

Sans trudged his way to the kitchen, his pink slippers flopping beneath him. Before one can enter the kitchen from his and Papyrus's room, one can always spot his mess of an office. And, whenever it's time for him to sleep, the lights are ALWAYS off. This time, the lights were on. He can see it even before taking a peek inside.

Sans wasn't particularly a monster who forgets a routine and get out of it. He always manages to follow his patterns perfectly. He never left the light on. Curious, he peered through the passage way, cautious of whatever trouble may come. It was no trouble.

It was his brother... sitting on the floor... the trashbag wide open in front of him.

 "Pap?"

 "Oh... Hello, brother," Pap greeted in a hushed tone.

 "I thought you're still asleep. What're you doin' up this late?" Sans began.

Papyrus raised a non-existent eyebrow. "What are **YOU** doing up this late? It's 12:18."

 "Couldn't sleep,"

 "Wanted to get some milk in the kitchen?"

 "Thought it could help,"

 "I tried. I only felt more awake than I usually do,"

He chuckled. Whenever Papyrus was one step ahead of him, he couldn't help but feel impressed. He forgets a lot of things out of his drive to work. His brother having an immense amount of stock knowledge and his ability to read anyone like a book were some of the things that slipped his mind.

 "Whatchadoin' here?"

His younger brother guiltily looked at him. "I saw the trashbag earlier. I just thought I'd check it out to... make sure you're okay?"

 "Papyrus..."

He felt a chill run up his spine. Sans was fond of using his nickname (and a few others that are meant to annoy him). The only times Sans uses his full name are when he is talking about him to someone else or if he is dang serious about something. Papyrus nervously shrank from his original state and looked at his brother with pleading eyes, begging for his mercy.

The last thing he wants is this bonebag getting mad and yelling. Good Asgore, the yelling. All of the Underground's bones would rattle with fear whenever Sans yelled. And fear was an understatement. Terror? Horror? Whatever was the most extreme synonym for fear, that's it. He braced himself, expecting the worst to come.

 "Don't be mad at me..." the younger skeleton softly whimpered.

 "It's just a bunch of failed projects, bro. There's no need to worry about 'em. I'm not mad at you. You're concerned and that's nothing worth to be mad about," Sans shrugged.

A rush of relief flowed Papyrus's system, his anxiety dissolving almost immediately. "O-Oh..."

 "Just don't do that next time, okay? I might not be mad but I'm definitely upset. You of all people know this is extremely confidentia-"

 "They can't read photons," Papyrus suddenly blurted out.

 "W-what?"

Here was another thing Sans always forgets about Papyrus. He knew his family has this intellectual and scientific side. It was a trait traced way down the family tree. Papyrus was one of those members that doesn't really show this side for whatever reason. But, somehow, he always manages to dig it up when the time is right.

 "I don't know whatever you're making. I only assumed, from the designs you made, that this is some sort of machine that can travel into a matter-less vacuum... or in this case, a void," Papyrus went on.

Still shocked at his sudden outburst of intuitiveness, Sans nodded, "Yeah... T-That's what I was going for,"

 "Well, if you were to travel into some space that doesn't have any form to land on, it would be no doubt you wouldn't survive this unless you tether onto something the machine knows exists. You were too occupied to make sure this machine can get into the void and, at the same time, keep it intact, to ever notice that the one thing that can keep it together is holding onto something that exists,"

The older skeleton was frozen with the younger's speech. He can barely recall the last time Papyrus babbled on about science. He knew his brother is smart and he isn't saying he isn't so. It's just one of his little quirks that he doesn't often use in everyday life so it would be reasonable why one can forget this.

 "H-How- How did- Did you..."

 "I honestly don't know how I understand such deep logic. I guess it's just there? I don't know..." Papyrus hung his head in embarrassment. "I freaked you out pretty good, didn't I?"

 "No! N-no... No... That... actually was very helpful. You're right..." Sans sighed. "I'm too occupied trying to get where I am to even think about what I want to do there..."

 "What exactly are you looking for in a void, Sans? There's literally nothing there. I bet you 500g that the readings would be zero,"

 "For a monster who doesn't gamble, you seem preeetty confident," The older chuckled. "I-I'll tell you once the machine is done. All we can do now is successfully make something that can determine that there is something there. If positive, we're a go. If negative, well... We'll think of something,"

 "WE?" The younger skeleton perked up. Sans silently thanked that Papyrus didn't push the subject about his reason to studying the void further.

Chuckling, he replied, "Yeah, Paps. We. I guess I learned something tonight. I need something -or someone- to tether me down like the machine. I don't know why I decided not to ask for your help in the first place..."

Taking this as a compliment, Papyrus plastered a childish smirk on his face. "Aww... I always told you I am the smart one,"

Sans scoffed, playfully pushing Papyrus's head away. "Quit **ribbing**. I still have the higher IQ,"

 "And I still have the eidetic memory, numbskull. Any knowledge you can retain, I can remember thrice as well compared to you,"

 "That's just your phony excuse to say you're smart,"

 "Are you saying I'm not?"

 "No, no! Just saying that I know better..."

There was a pause that hung in the room. For a moment, neither brother breathed a word. Then, both exploded with laughter. If they had physical guts, they were sure they'd hurt.

 "THAT'S RICH!! COME ON! CHALLENGE ME TO A PRANK-OFF! THEN, WE'LL SEE!" Papyrus's loud voice making a comeback.

 "Papy, Papy, Papy. Do you know who you're up against?" Sans boasted.

 "OF COURSE, I DO!! MY HALF-WIT BROTHER WHO HASN'T GOTTEN MUCH EXERCISE FOR TWO MONTHS!!"

 "Doing work. Exercising the mind,"

 "I CAN BEAT YOU, YOU KNOW?!"

 "Ha. Ha. Color me intimidated,"

 "SAAAAAAAAANS!!!"

With that, the older laughed it off, holding his abdomen as if he can't take it. That was his cue to stop teasing the younger. "Alright! Alright! I'm done. We'll do that one day,"

The room fell silent again. Papyrus glanced at a wrinkled blueprint once more. A chord of doubt invaded his confidence, ringing despondency in his soul.

 "It's just a theory, you know..."

 "Hey. Theory or not, it is actually pretty helpful. I'm proud of ya," Sans rubbed his little brother's head lightheartedly.

Papyrus cracked up with child-likeness. "Please, don't noggie the skeleton!"

 "Heh heh. Sorry, bro. C'mon. We should be asleep. Royals can be a pain in the neck if their subjects are late,"

 "Yeah... Asriel was almost as insane as Doggo the last time. Don't want that to happen again..."

Sans chuckled. He offered his hand and helped his brother back up his feet. They headed out the room, Sans switching off the light before proceeding.

 "Remind me that you can be such a smarty-pants from time to time," Sans said.

 "Reminder taken," Papyrus replied.

He smiled, shaking his head. "Like you would forget..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done a crap ton of research just for this chapter. Lel.
> 
> The way Sans and Papyrus behaves in this AU is loosely based off of how me and my little sister acts. Also how me and my best friend competes. Hey, Mrs. Mettaton!!
> 
> Boy, it just keeps getting better and better, ain't it? :DDDD  
> *insert "innocent" Flowey face here*
> 
> I'd love to read what you have to say about this chapter! Leave a comment! ^w^


	4. Your Best Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which monsters accept a human with open arms with a promise to love her til the end of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MUCH. FLUFF. AHEAD.
> 
> And Chara's getting suspiciiooouusss. Don't worry, folks. I promise friendly Chara will still be making an appearance in the majority of this story ;)

Papyrus could've carried Sans if he wanted to. But something about him doing that makes him sleepy, Sans said. He already lacked sleep from writing down Pap's epiphany and working on a breakthrough. His younger brother had to wake up thirty minutes after he slept and yell at him to sleep. Sans laughed it off and obeyed. He was right, anyways. Besides, it would be rude to sleep in front of royalty while they expected one to interact with them.

After walking for a while, the brothers spotted the siblings playing chess on the ground. Once seeing the brothers, they fixed up the board, hid it away and waited for them.

 "Aww... you guys shouldn't stop playing now that we're here. Looks like you were having fun," Sans smiled.

 "Having fun," Asriel scoffed, folding his arms. "If I'd get one win, it'd be fun,"

 "Sore loser, huh?"

Chara chuckled and shook her head. "Don't start,"

Sans let out a rather loud yawn. He apologized to them, clarifying he was not bored with the company. Chara tilted her head and asked the younger brother of the older's unusual behavior. The day before, it seemed like he couldn't stop working. Now, it seemed like he was ready to collapse and fall asleep the whole day.

 "I TOLD HIM TO SLEEP IT OUT!! NOT EVERYONE HAS THE GREAT PAPYRUS' ENERGY, BROTHER! YOU NEEDED SLEEP!" Papyrus scolded.

 "For the hundredth time, _**mom**_ , I know. Silly mistake. Let's move on," Sans replied, his eyesockets only opening half-way.

 "Ha! Luckily for you, what we're going to do is going to be easy for you," Chara cheerfully snapped.

Sans shrugged. "Sounds great. What're we doin'?"

Without another word, the young prince and princess began to make themselves comfortable and lied down the grassy ground side by side, facing the ceiling crystals. Asriel placed his arms at the back of his head, getting into a relaxing position. Chara wrapped her fingers and rested her hands on her stomach, closing her eyes as she sighed.

 "Nothing," the two said in unison.

The brothers looked at each other in shock. Papyrus shook his head, ready to ask a question to make sure he heard them correctly. Not that the Great Papyrus has horrible hearing.

 "WHAT?"

 "You heard us," the princess chimed.

 "We're doing nothing," the prince shrugged. "Go on. Get yourselves comfortable,"

Papyrus snorted. "IS THIS SOME SORT OF SHAM? ASRIEL, YOU KNOW I DON'T DO... NOTHING,"

 "Yeah. I could make progress on my work with this time," Sans added.

 "Just do it," Chara grumbled.

Sighing in defeat, they both lied down, too. It took them a while to get to a comfortable position. Once they did, they can't seem to stop the train of thought running wildy in their heads. The older skeleton can't stop shifting his eyes and thought about work. The younger just felt uncomfortable, tensing up more by the second.

 "SO..." Papyrus groaned. "HOW EXACTLY DO YOU DO NOTHING?"

 "Don't think. Don't feel. Don't do anything," Asriel replied, his eyes not tearing off the ceiling.

 "Forget everything for once... And stop talking," his sister advised.

Don't think. Don't feel.

Those were two of the hardest things they both should do. But Chara and Asriel seemed to know what they're doing so they tried their hardest. The human girl sensed their difficulty in accomplishing such a simple task. She smiled and breathed, letting patience get the best of her.

 "Don't try. Just... don't do anything,"

 "YOU MAKE IT SOUND SO EASY,"

Asriel giggled at his own thought. "And here I thought your lineage was known for slacking off,"

It took them the longest time to "do nothing". Thoughts and worries plagued their minds mercilessly. But, eventually, they learned to let go. They learned to relax. They learned to just... do nothing.

They, all of them, didn't know how long they've stayed that way. They didn't care. It was just the four of them doing nothing. It sounded dumb but, to them, it was the best hangout they've ever had.

Sans was just proud he managed to stay awake the whole time. His eye-socket-lids were heavy. But when he looked up the ceiling, he couldn't help but stare at them. He didn't even bother to dig in to what he knew about them and his curiosity to what the version of those are in the surface. His mind just went blank. It never did that for the longest time. He felt... safe. At ease.

It wasn't long until a thought ran on one of the minds. They remained still, though. It seemed like nothing can move them.

 "Chara?" Asriel whispered.

 "Hmm?"

 "Are there crystals in the Surface, too?"

 "They're not called crystals on the Surface, Rei. They're stars. They're big balls of gas burning millions of miles away. They kinda look like crystals but... just... you know. In a much bigger space," Chara explained.

Her brother groaned uncomfortably. "Sounds dangerous... You said physical fire can hurt. Good thing the crystals down here don't do that,"

 "I don't know, bud. They sound pretty interesting to me. I wish I could see stars. I've read that if you connect them, they form the shape of people and creatures called..." Sans smacked his head softly. "Shoot. I forgot. What do you call them, Pap?"

 "CONSTELLATIONS. THEY SOUND INTERESTING. IT LEFT ME WONDERING HOW BIG THE SURFACE ACTUALLY IS," Papyrus said.

 "I'm pretty sure it's _**SPACIOUS**_ , bro,"

The taller skeleton snickered. "THAT THEORY ALONE IS... _**OUT OF THIS WORLD**_ ,"

 "Think of the _**ASTRONOMICAL**_ possibilities out there,"

The brothers began giggling at their own puns, giving each other a fist bump to commend the other's horrible pun-making skills. Chara simply chuckled sadly. No one seemed to notice. Poor, naive Asriel was left confused, twisting his face to emphasize his current emotion.

 "I don't know what's funny but I'm gonna assume they're puns so 'ha ha',"

Sans grinned at him. "You'll get it one day, buddy,"

 "YOU SHOULD TOTALLY READ THAT BOOK! IT'S QUITE FASCINATING!!" Papyrus enthusiastically suggested.

The young prince put on a strained smile. "Greeeaat... More homework for me,"

The three boys chuckled at his sarcasm. Still, nobody noticed the human girl was now deep in thought, trapped in her own little world and something burning inside of her.

 "Don't think of it as homework, Az. Think of it as another way to be smarter than me,"

 "Oohhh... THAT, I can do," The goat child sneered, finally accepting the challenge.

Papyrus reached out for the young prince and patted his head as if he bore the saddest new in the Underground. "IT TOOK ME DECADES TO BEAT HIM SO GOOD LUCK,"

Asriel just shook his head and cracked his knuckles. "Don't care. I like a good challenge,"

 "You guys deserve to go up there. It really is unfair for you to be trapped down here. I can't believe humanity is horrible enough to do this to you," Chara suddenly spoke up.

For a moment, the three others fell silent. A sense of discomfort suddenly flooded their hearts. Not for themselves but for her. They felt her guilt and they didn't like it. She, then, felt their guilt about her guilt. She smiled and thought about how much she loved monsters and their caring nature.

With a heavy heart, she sighed. "I just wish there were some way I can break the Barrier,"

 "Hey, it's okay, kid. We're happy in here, anyways. We can wait," Sans patted her shoulder.

The other skeleton nodded in agreement. "YES, HUMAN!! WE WON'T LOSE HOPE! I AM VERY SURE THAT WE'LL ALL SEE THE SURFACE ONE DAY!"

 "We'll find a way to get out, Chara," Asriel assured. "And we're gonna do it together. All of four us. Y'know... Something that doesn't involve killing you,"

Chara giggled. The comfort these so-called monsters gave her filled her with determination. With friends like these, she knows she can get them out. And she's not letting humanity stop her this time. She oathed to herself. They will all be free.

 "Gosh, I love you, guys. You're all so amazing," she smiled at them. 

As Asriel's smile grew wider, he pulled Chara into a tight, warm hug. "Awww... I love you, too, sis!!"

 "WE LOVE YOU, TOO, CHARA THE HUMAN!! YOU'RE PRETTY GREAT! NOT AS GREAT AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS BUT... GREAT!!"

 "Yeah. We're sure glad we can call you a friend. You're pretty cool," Sans grinned.

Papyrus slapped his older brother's head. Sans shot him a questioning glance, his face practically asking what he did wrong. Before he could put it into words and speak, his brother already gave him the answer.

 "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, SANS?! THE HUMAN EXPRESSED HER PLATONIC LOVE FOR US! 'FRIEND' WOULD BE A SHAMEFUL UNDERSTATEMENT!!" He, then, looked at Chara. "HUMAN! WOULD YOU CONSIDER THINKING OF US AS YOUR BEST FRIENDS?!"

 "Hee hee! You guys are more than best friends to me... even though we just met. You're more like my... big brothers," the human child beamed.

The younger skeleton gasped before proceeding to giddily shaking his brother. "DID YOU HEAR THAT, SANS?! DID YOU?! WE HAVE A LITTLE SISTER!!"

 "Easy, Pap! Now I can see why you and Asriel became friends so quickly," Sans chuckled.

The young prince dramatically gasped, sitting up like he had the biggest revelation ever. "Oh my gosh, Papyrus. We might be secret brothers after all!!"

This only excited him more. Thankfully, he let Sans go at this point. Any longer in his younger brother's hands while he's spazzing out and squealing like Alphys, he's gonna lose his head.

 "THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!! I GOT A LITTLE SISTER AND A LITTLE BROTHER!! I SHALL BE THE GREATEST BIG BROTHER EVER!! WELL... AFTER SANS, ANYWAYS,"

Everyone laughed and smiled, just enjoying each other's company and Papyrus' excitement. When he calmed down, they all went back to lying down the grass and staring at the constantly sparkling crystals. This time, with a huge smile on each of their faces. Chara was simply marveled at how fast these monsters accepted a new person as one of their own and even tell her they love her. And a human, no less. She meant it when she said she loved them. And she wished it would stay this way.

 "Sans?" Asriel suddenly and silently called out.

 "Yeah, bud?" Sans replied.

 "We're gonna be best friends forever, are we? All four of us?"

The short skeleton chuckled at his question. He knew Asriel directed this question to him because he knew and trusted he would be the best person who'd keep a promise for all of them. With this in mind, Sans sighed.

 "Sure thing, bud. Forever..."

~~_I promise..._ ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOHHH!!! CRUD'S ABOUT TO GET REAL!!!
> 
> Chapter's a bit rushed because my classes just started (don't ask. things work differently where I live.) Gonna have to edit it if I find stuff that don't appeal to me. But I'll do my best to publish new chapters on Tuesdays maybe? I'll leave a link to my schedule of posts on my accounts soon.
> 
> Hope you liked this chapter! ^w^


	5. Training with a True Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara meets her heroine. Undyne meets her first fan. Also. NEWS FLASH: Asriel sucks at monster politics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTICE:
> 
> This AU may seem to follow the canon story, but it doesn't. Some parts of the canon story are tweaked in some way for reasons that concern the plot. The following chapter you are about to read might be something you don't believe to be canon (which is Asgore training Undyne when Chara is still alive, not post-Chara and Asriel death, as a lot of people assume).
> 
> Just a heads up in case some people are uncomfortable about this.

Being the adopted child of a king and his queen was an adventure. What's more, one gets to see new things, meet new people and learn about the kingdom in a monarch's point of view. Though the pressure on one can be quite overwhelming, it was still nice that one had the obligation to serve and protect a very compassionate and loving race.

One of the things Chara hated about it, though, was that she was merely a spare. By monster standards, she and Asriel are of the same age. Heck, if he isn't a monster, one would consider them as twins of separate birth as they were born on the same month and day. But, still. That doesn't deny the fact that Asriel is still next in line for the throne, being the true child of the royal couple and all. What does that mean exactly?

It meant that she had to be alone once Asriel had classes.

Toriel was still arranging a different curriculum for her. Not to mention that she's the queen which meant she can't put in a lot of time for Chara's lessons as much as she wanted to. Asriel's classes were already set for him before he was born, his entire schoolwork already set out for him once he came to this world. And even if that were the case, the human girl still can't get into the same class with her surrogate brother for the reason he was a couple of decades ahead of her. He's already in the part where they discuss monster politics and he, himself, claimed it was _"the most boring-est crap school's ever given me"_. She couldn't blame him. Asriel learned best by observing, not inside classroom walls. Clearly such a thing as a lecture on "monster politics" was not his forte.

So that left Chara to do random things for most of the time, never sticking to one. It was fun at first. But it got boring without the jolly aura of her brother.

She could visit Sans and Papyrus if it weren't for the circumstances. One, she has no idea how to barge in their home as she didn't have the directions. Two, they refused to give the siblings any form of contact. They won't even give them their email addresses. And, three, the brothers were never out of Hotland unless the situation required them to be.

That's a scratch on her so-called "big brothers".

Seeing how bored his adoptive child was, Asgore invited Chara to something he considered private.

She had heard that he was training a young monster to be in the Royal Guard. But he insisted this information to be kept on the down-low as this monster was not yet ready for public. He just knew that his student would be showered with praises and adoration once she made a debut.

While watching her father train the monster, Chara learned that her name was Undyne and that she's some sort of... fish monster woman. She also learned that she was loud and aggressive... with passion. She admired her for that. She noticed her big goofy smile once she conjured up a spear and started her turn on attacking Asgore. Even if she failed, she loves what she's doing. No sooner, the human girl found herself cheering for fish lady rather than goat dad.

Now she understood what he meant by the public freaking out on her introduction to the kingdom.

 "That's not fair! I am your father!" Asgore retorted as he continued attack and dodging his student's attacks.

 "And she is awesome!! You go, Undyne!!!" Chara cheered, a few feet away from their 'arena'.

 "That kid's got spunk. I **LOVE** SPUNK!!" Undyne beamed

 "Focus!" the king instructed.

Chara was at the edge of her seat, watching the most intense battle she ever encountered. Her eyes were wide and were glued onto the heroine, following and memorizing her every move and attack.

Undyne was under Asgore's wing for years, training regularly and never missing a single session. The human child silently questioned why she still looked thin, regardless of the number of years she built up her strength and stamina. In those years, Undyne never got a chance to beat her mentor. He was too quick, too strong and too powerful and very strategic.

She wanted to change that today.

She now knows his every move, attack and tactic. She's going to make her mark. And that mark came by a simple-

 "OOF!"

He's... down. She attacked him without thinking straight and now he's... knocked out. Undyne cannot believe it. Chara looked at them in pure awe. The student immediately came scrambling beside her teacher, frantic of the possibility he's hurt.

 " **OH MY GOSH**! ASGORE, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Undyne exclaimed.

The king groaned, sitting up. And then he proceeded... What? Laughing? Undyne gave him a confused look. He's laughing? What's so funny about being knocked down to the ground? Chara was befuddled, all the same. Now they both were silently questioning if this guy is even the slightest of sane.

 "Dad, are you okay?" Chara called out.

 "What's so funny?" the student shrugged.

 "Oh ho ho hoh! Nothing! I'm just proud of you, child! You finally did it!" Asgore chortled.

Undyne raised an eyebrow. "Pin you down on the ground and lower your HP?"

 "Yes! You applied what you learned and I'm just happy you finally beat me! And don't worry about my HP. You of all people know I'm stronger than that,"

 "I-I don't get it. No one's ever been happy to get hurt,"

Asgore got up, dusted the dirt off his pants and smiled at her. "Well, I guess I'm the first. I'm just proud of you. You grew stronger, my child. I'm sure you will use your power for the good of the kingdom,"

Suddenly the door of the castle creaked open and out peeped one of Asgore's bunny servants.

 "Your Majesty, the Council requests your presence at the Meeting Hall right away," he informed.

 "Oh, yes. Of course. I will be joining them in a moment,"

With that, the bunny nodded and closed the door. Asgore turned his back and walked towards the castle without another word.

 "W-Wait. That's it?!" Undyne yelled.

 "Yes. You are dismissed," Asgore replied.

 "Are we f-finished training?! Just like that?!?!"

 "I'll hope a much better performance tomorrow, Undyne,"

With that, the king left. Undyne and Chara remained silent for a while, just plain confused. They stayed where they are, trying to process what just happened. After a few minutes, Undyne bent down to pick up her spear and fixed herself. Chara hopped off her seat and rushed to her.

 "Wow. You're really impressive, Undyne," Chara praised.

Undyne flashed the child her signature toothy grin. "Heh. Thanks, punk. Not good enough yet, though. I'm glad your dad is still into training me,"

 "Of course, he is! I bet he could sense the determination in you! Once you're a Royal Guard, I can't wait to see you kicking and smashing and skewering puny humans to-"

 "Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, champ. No one said anything about hurting anybody!" The fish lady raised her hands.

Chara tilted her head, clearly confused. "But... The humans... What if others fall down here? They hurt you didn't they? Trapped you in here? They deserve to be punished,"

Undyne sighed and knelt in front of the child, resting one hand on the human's shoulder and the other on her thigh to support her weight.

 "Look, kid. We're... 'monsters'. We were created and made to protect, care for and nurture others, not to create mass genocide. Asgore just needed a Royal Guard like me to... well, guard. Our training mostly consisted of defense and weakening our enemies' attacks; our intention is never to hurt them. The attacking part is just in case the humans are still as bad as before,"

 "Humans are still bad! They don't change!"

 "That's not what I meant. They were just scared and acted poorly about it. As bad as what humanity did to us, they're just broken. Besides, the War happened thousands of years ago. A couple centuries before I was born. I bet they can change with that length of time,"

The human child bowed her head and looked at the ground like it was the most interesting thing. A wash of guilt and bitterness swept inside her. How can these creatures be so kind to them after what humanity did? She didn't know why. She just can't understand. Her fists balled up tight as she tried to control her own anger. They didn't deserve this. They weren't the monsters. Humans are. She is.

 "They haven't... I still don't get why all of you can't hurt humans... Hurt me... I'm a human, aren't I? I shouldn't be alive..."

Noticeable tears trickled down Chara's cheeks. Out of all the things she can't control, it had to be crying. This was Asriel's gig. Not hers. Undyne, seeing that the kid started crying, picked the child up and wrapped her in her arms.

 "Aww... Kid, you're cool! A living proof humans can be good! You're pretty awesome; I can tell. Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"

She felt Chara nod on her shoulder.

Three.

Undyne then pulled away and held the human girl in front of her with a big grin. She believed it was a cure for long faces like the one Chara was wearing at the moment.

 "C'mon! Strong princesses don't protect their kingdoms with that look! Where's your 'GRR' face?! I loved that spunk in ya!" she beamed.

Chara strained to lift her head up and pulled on a smile that imitated Undyne's. The heroine wasn't convinced but still appreciated the effort put in.

Suddenly, Undyne's eyes widened, though fear was still absent on her expression. "Whoa, punk! I didn't know your eyes could turn red like that!"

 "My eyes... What?"

The princess cocked her head around, trying to find something that could reveal her reflection. Finding a puddle of water nearby, she wormed her way out of Undyne's grip and ran to the water. By the time she saw her mirror, the bright red glow on her eyes started to fade, returning to the brilliant brown color they had.

 "What...?" Chara whispered, holding her face. She had no idea how that happened. But every single cell on her body leaned onto the assumption that it wasn't good.

 "Hey, don't sweat it, nerd! It's actually a pretty cool trick you got there! You could totally match Tori's eyes! Then you'd look like you're really her daughter! That'd be so sick! FU HU HU HU!!"

 "Heh heh... Yeah..."

Before either of them said another word, the cellphone Toriel gave her rang. Chara excused herself as she fished the phone out of the pocket, pressing the answer button once it's properly placed in her hands.

 "Hello?"

 "Kid, is that you?" A low, baritone voice replied.

 "Sans?" Chara whispered.

He sighed, relieved. It sounded like he had the toughest cardio activity he had in his life. "Good. Another phone call, I would be dust,"

 "How'd you get my number?"

 "Papyrus just dialed numbers randomly until he got yours. Made me answer the phone. It was an intense workout,"

She could've sworn she heard a distant "NYEH HEH HEH!!" on the other end of the line. Chara chuckled and gave herself a face-palm.

 "Awesome. So why'd you call?"

 "Remember how you and Asriel wanted to help out on that little project of mine?"

 "Yeah..."

 "Welp. As it turns out, Papyrus and I need extra pairs of hands to get this thing done fast. You guys still up for the task?"

A smile curled up on Chara's lips, the dark memory of what happened seemingly melting away. Worry was replaced by excitement and determination in her eyes. She simply can't help but feel overjoyed that she can help in some small way.

 "Yeah! I'll tell Asriel later!" she smiled.

 "Ice. Pap will be waiting for you at our spot tomorrow. We have to get started ASAP,"

 "Sounds great! I can't wait! I bet Asriel can't, too, once he hears about this!"

Sans chuckled, still getting used to a child's zeal. "A'ight, buddy. See ya tomorrow,"

 "See ya!"

The phone call dropped off like that; Chara sliding the phone back to her pocket. Her attention returned to Undyne who was just getting ready to leave. She didn't exactly eavesdrop on the call but she just heard tidbits here and there. Only on Chara's end, of course.

 "What was that all about?" she asked.

 "Just some good news for me and Asriel! I gotta go tell him right away!"

 "Alright! Hope to be seeing you again the next time your brother has a class, punk!" Undyne smiled.

"Yeah! You, too!" Chara yelled as she was running towards the castle doors. She grabbed on the handle and pulled with all her strength. Thankfully, her little arms are tough enough to conquer such a hard task. The door cracked open and she immediately skedaddled her way in. Before closing the door, she peered out, forgetting to tell something to the young hero.

 "Oh. By the way, you're awesome,"

With that, the door shut close, leaving Undyne chuckling alone. She expected great things for her. She knew the kid's going to be a great leader to the kingdom alongside the prince. She knows she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had this headcanon that Undyne likes kids which is why she takes it easy on Chara. Especially since she's human. Asgore informed her in advance that humans are fragile so she holds off her extreme supplexing thing on their first meeting. GOSH, Undyne's such a sweetheart ^w^
> 
> Before anyone asks when LinkingTale Chara and Asriel's birthdays are, it's on September 17 because reasons.
> 
> Also, DING-A-LING! I finally broke the plot down to chapters and have come to the conclusion that this story will have 25. That still leaves plenty of time for the dread to set in. This is only the beginning...
> 
> =)
> 
> Hope ya like this chapter, peeps!


	6. ANNOUNCEMENT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's not a new chapter! TT TT

HOWDY!!

So... I've been getting feedback about this story recently. Good feedback. And I decided keep it going... **NEXT YEAR** XP Sorry for the unannounced hiatus! A lot of stuff happened when I was writing this and it was all coming in so fast. Like there's school and then there were projects that came up. I could go on but that's still no excuse to leave you guys behind. For that, I truly apologize. Seriously.

So, by January, I will hopefully be back on track! The info I had to research for this story was just overwhelming that I kinda backed out on it. Now that I have enough information and ideas I need, I will hopefully be back on this soon.

Thank you so much for your patience and feedback! Have a nice dae! ♥♡♥♡


	7. ANNOUNCEMENT... AGAIN!!

HOWDY!

Just letting you guys know that this story AND AU will be going on... in the form of a [comic](http://officaldaelight.tumblr.com/post/157476302218/ive-been-thinking-a-lot-about-comics-lately).

Idk how often I'll update but, hopefully, I can set a schedule on every Friday, I guess? I still have to look into it. And, yes, I will start from the top due to... small changes :3 Don't worry! I have so much planned about this story (even an animation or two!). I've just been side-tracked with so many things that it's hard to focus. So, yeah! If you want to know how this ends ~~(or does it end?? OuO)~~ , just follow me on Tumblr and I hope you guys like.

Thanks for your support for this fanfic and for the lovely comments! You guys are amazing :3

**Author's Note:**

> HOWDY!
> 
> Like it? Please leave feedback so I can improve my work. It's fun writing stuff again. But I want to be better at it.
> 
> My Tumblr account is @officaldaelight. Remember! That's a typo. On purpose ;P
> 
> See ya around, kiddo!


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